Contrast the life of a nobleman's son or daughter to that of a serf's?

Question

of the middle ages~~

Answer 1

the one common factor was that both individuals had heavy obligations to their communities.

the serf was liable to his/her lord for work, unpaid, to the religious leaders for attendance at church and sometimes payment of goods or money, and could not marry for personal choice unless the lord approved.

the noble child was assigned to a friend or relative at 7 or 8 to be trained in noble lifestyle, must observe religious duties to set example to the serfs and freemen, must at times grant money to the church for new buildings or religious communities, and could not marry by choice without the agreement of his/her parents - who often pre empted the choice of the bride or groom.

And when you think about it, the life of serf and noble wasn't all that different. Short, brutal and demanding.

Aren't you happy you live in the 21st century?

Answer 2

Serfdom is a modified version of slavery.  It was a condition of bondage or modified slavery seen primarily during the Middle Ages in Europe. Serfdom was the enforced labour of serfs on the fields of landowners, in return for protection and the right to work on their leased fields. Serfdom involved work not only on fields, but various agriculture-related works, like forestry, mining, transportation (both land and river-based), crafts and even in production.

If u were born in a serfdom you became a serf. Learning to do what your parents did, following their lifestyle. So a ser'f son/daughter was forced to live much like a slave.

Nobility is a government-privileged title which may be either hereditary  or for a lifetime.

Nobility is a historical, social and often legal notion, which should not be confused with socio-economic status which is mainly statistical based on income and possessions. Being wealthy or influential does not automatically make one a noble, nor are all nobles wealthy and influential (aristocratic families have lost their fortunes in various ways, and the concept of the 'poor nobleman' is almost as old as nobility itself).

The term originally referred to those who were "known" or "notable" and was applied to the highest social class in pre-modern societies. In the feudal system (in Europe and elsewhere), the nobility were generally those who held a fief, often land and/or office, under vassalage, i.e., in exchange for allegiance and various, mainly military, services to the Monarch and at lower levels to another nobleman.

If you are a "notable" man, most surelu your son/daughter will be "notable" also.

As Nobleman dealt with military and allegiances they need to have some study. So a son had also the need to be prepared to take over in his father's affairs

Answer 3

The sons and daughters of noblemen were often sent away for their education, to be raised in the houses of other noblemen.  both boys and girls would learn to read and write, to sing, dance, and play musical instruments, to play chess, and to ride and hawk.  Boys would also be instructed in the use of weapons, and girls would learn to sew and spin, and to manage a household, which was a very demanding job in those days.  Young people were often married off quite young, perhaps in their early teens, and marriages were generally arranged by their families.  some young people of both sexes would go into monasteries, where they could receive a classical education, some monks and nuns became well-known scholars.

The children of peasants would help their parents as soon as they were old enough, working in the fields.  girls would also be taught domestic skills by their mothers, cooking and preserving of food, making butter and cheese, brewing ale, which was mostly drunk instead of water (water was not clean enough, making candles, and of course spinning, which was vital work, producing the thread to make clothes and bedding.  children could be educated at monastic schools, about one peasant boy in ten became a clergyman, which required the ability to read Latin, so the education given must have been quite good.  boys might also join the army, and children of both sexes could be apprenticed to various trades.  Among the common people, it was more usual for people to choose their own marriage partners, and they did not normally get married until the mid-twenties.

Village life revolved around the church and its festivals.  Saints Days were holidays, and there were a lot of them, so peasant children would have had opportunities to play as well as work  christmas lasted for thirteen days, from Christmas Day through until Epiphany (6th January).  The 7th January, St Distaff's day, was the day when women and girl traditionally resumed their task of spinning after the holiday.